A blog about teaching/learning English: students' assignments and teaching ideas.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Songs for the English Lesson (how to motivate teenagers)

Teenagers love listening to music! In fact, they can't live without it. Some prefer rap, pop, hip-pop, others love listening to rock. So, why not using their favourite songs, singers/bands in class? Either for teaching purposes or just as a background tool during lessons, music is an enjoyable alternative to the traditional listening comprehension. When I'm looking for songs for my students, I try to get the ones which are new at that moment and which have to do with the topic they're studying (as a starting point for discussion, for example). I also use them to consolidate grammar, or teach vocabulary.I used the following songs in my teenage classes:

* "Wise up", by Aimee Man (topic: alcoholism)- while listening activity: choosing the correct words in the song - after listening activities: choosing the correct picture; discussion on the topic

* "Apologize", by One Republic & Timbaland (grammar review)- while listening activity: inserting the corrects verbs from the box- after listening activity: filling in a chart about verb tenses

* "Losing my Way", by Justin Timberlake (topic: drug addiction)- while listening activity: inserting the correct verbs from the box- after listening activity: American English vs. British English

I also used Christina Aguilera's "Hurt" and U2's "One" as listening comprehension tests. I chose these two songs because they are quite easy to understand.

All the songs can be seen below. If you would like to have a copy of these songs, do not hesitate to cantact me.

If you want to know more about "How to use songs in the classroom", check out these sites:http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?docid=146787http://www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/music-classroom.htm

TIPHave your students pick up the songs they would like to listen. As soon as they get involved, they'll be more interested in your lessons!!